For our February update, we’ve got dramatic new pages of Knights-Errant, the exciting and possibly romantic(?!) return of Orange Junk, more booze and death in Dead Endings: Book 2 which is now going under the official title Dead Leads (and has a spectacular cover as well–Nasty Women Unite!!), and a new, surprisingly angsty installment of “Before You Go” while things heat up in a big way in Decoy and Retrofit. So we get to bring you a little romance, a whole lot of drama, and some sex and monsters this time around. Hope you like it!

In other news, we’re running a Kickstarter to fund a print run of the complete Tokyo Demons series–we’re almost at our first goal after just 10 days, so let’s see how far we can go to unlock the really fun Stretch Goals we have planned! Speaking of “far,” two of our Sparkler founders are actually completing this update from Japan as they scout locations for the developing Tokyo Ghosts series (and engage in various fujoshi-related activities), and they recorded this month’s Sparkler Podcast about Kickstarter in Tokyo. We look forward to seeing how all their “research” pays off once we kick into the next big arc of the series. Exciting!!

In the meantime, we’re plowing through our final round of submissions review as well, so look forward to that in the near future. And as for other travel, we’re looking forward to running a booth at the first-ever BishounenCon in March! We’ve had a blast at YaoiCon for the past few years, and we can’t wait for this inaugural show of its East Coast edition. See you there?!

After a steamy, sultry summer full of new issues, Kickstarters, and other craziness, I’m really looking forward to fall’s cool breezes, crisp weather, and tasty seasonal beverages! And what better way to enjoy a seasonal beverage than while reviewing a fresh and exciting pile of submissions. :-D That’s right–for the month of September, Sparkler is open for submissions in both our comics and prose departments, and we can’t wait to see what you all come up with! Along with the refreshing change of seasons, we’re looking to refresh our line-up a bit, so this is a great opportunity for those of you who are looking to publish media online and would value editorial and logistical support. ;-) (All info at http://sparklermonthly.com/about/submissions/)

And if you’re in San Francisco this weekend, come to YaoiCon–we’ll have a Sparkler table in the Dealer’s Room, packed with our books (and Sparkler Distro books!) along with a lot of fun merch. That includes some brand-new stuff that’s not on sale yet but we have special preview copies of, ho ho~.

We’ve got another great issue for you this month! Knights-Errant is back with exciting battles and intrigue, Orange Junk hits the “budding romance” button nice and hard, Nine Circles puts the “terror” in “time-share” (shut up, I know that’s not how it works…), we get new friends (?!) and scandalous backstory in Magical How?…and to wrap it all up, we’ve got a special standalone Skyglass story that takes place after the end of the novel!

Our Sparkler Podcast this month is about visual novels, the type of video game we just released with last month’s Out of Sync. We have special guest (and Sparkler staff member!) Pachi joining our roundtable of Jill, Lianne, and Leah to discuss Out of Sync, Japanese otome games, indie visual novels (and Ren’Py), dating sims you can buy in English on your smartphone…the whole shebang. You’ll probably learn something interesting and/or hilarious from this broad discussion, whether you’re an experienced gamer or total newbie.

So go outside with your favorite reading device and enjoy the wonderful fall air while indulging in the latest and greatest from Sparkler…knowing that soon, someone like YOU could be published here as well!

Thanks to all your reblogs, sharing, and support, we’re primed and ready for a killer Year 4 of Sparkler Monthly! Woo hoo! On the docket we’ve got video games, new audio dramas, new series, more of the great content you’ve come to expect from us…and…we’re opening submissions again! The biggest debut of Year 4 could be YOU!

To celebrate the success of our Year 4 Kickstarter, we’re thrilled to announce that this first issue of the year…is ABSOLUTELY FREE TO DOWNLOAD! Free readers, lurkers, newbies, friends you’ve been pushing to try Sparkler – everyone can get their copy without paying a dime to see the sort of monthly delights we offer our members. And what an issue it is…

Issue #037 includes our very first video game with dev team Paper Star Studios! Out of Syncis a BL visual novel about two J-pop idols (in separate boy bands) who reconnect after being separated by the industry, and boy, does it get hot. So hot, in fact, that we have a “complete” version in our Cherry Bomb line that includes extended versions of the two fade-to-black love scenes, for you older fans who want to see everything. :) Also included in this issue is an exclusive 50-page booklet to go with the game, which includes Out of Sync game art, a preview of the script, and bonus art and pin-ups by head artist Cap o’Rushes! We even released a super cute keychain by team artist Romy-chan as part of this launch!

Also in this issue: the series finale of Tokyo Demons after 5+ years of serialization (get the tissues), a scream-worthy new chapter of Windrose with more shocking romantic developments, and a heartfelt chapter of Orange Junk that reveals something…that a lot of you have been hoping for more of in the pages of Sparkler. :D And our podcast of the month is with Eurika Yusin Gho, the hilarious creator of Magical How? who sits with her Sparkler editors and discusses boys in skirts and the future of the series!

In addition, Sparkler will have a Dealer’s Booth at Yaoicon in a few weeks, and it looks like our three department heads–Lillian (comics), Lianne (prose), and Rebecca (audio)–will all be there, along with sparly piles of Sparkler books and merch. Come see us. :D

Since Year 4 has some open slots in the magazine, open submissions will start again in September (for the first time in almost 2 years), so prep your ideas! We’ll be releasing updated guidelines in the next week or two, so be sure to follow us on social media (Twitter, Tumblr, and/or Facebook) for the newest info. You’ve got until the end of September to send us your short story, comics series, and short prose pitches.

The seasons are changing, and thus the thoughts of the Sparkler staff turn to endings and beginning. We’re only in October, but it’s going to be 2016 before we know it, which means we’re busy setting up our schedule for the end of the year…and into the new year! As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we look forward to finishing up the first half of Year 3 strong, and starting off 2016 with a bang, from new prose to new comics. We’re really looking forward to it, and we hope you are as well!

But first things first! This month we welcome back Knights-Errant from a brief hiatus–if any Kickstarter backers haven’t received Jen Doyle’s amazing desktop background yet, definitely let us know so we can hook you up! It’s the perfect way to bedeck an electronic device of your choice with a little autumnal splendor. :-) And it features the hapless Anton and Beppe, so it’s appropriate for this month’s installment as well. Hee hee!

Also this month: we have the attack of the witches in Witch’s Quarry, the devastating aftermath of major plot developments in Tokyo Demons, the requisite adorableness of The Cat Lover’s Circumstances, and the start of a new holiday arc for Orange Junk! With a mix of drama, comedy, and romance (with a few doses of body horror, just for kicks…), there’s something for everyone in the latest round of Sparkler series.

Our podcast for October is a discussion of creating female characters, and what we like to see from fictional ladies in our various media of choice. It’s always a fun topic, so we hope you get a kick out of it as well! And, as per our podcast last month, we’re hoping to start our new Sparkler RPG stream in October or November, so keep your eyes and ears peeled for that.

Speaking of role-playing (of sorts), Lillian had a great chat with a cosplayer at YaoiCon a few weeks ago–someone who had done a Knights-Errant cosplay with a friend. We would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see more Sparkler series cosplay, especially with Halloween right around the corner, so if you do come up with something you’d like to share, tag us on your social media platform of choice (Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr) and we’ll reply/reblog/retweet with many squeals of ecstasy! :-D

In other news, we’re thrilled to announce that Lêttera (by Studio Kôsen, creators of Windrose) returned this week from its short hiatus! This sexy fantasy series is completely free to read right now, including the most recent pages. Things are really starting to heat up in the newest chapter, so what are you waiting for? Load up on Kôsen comics and have a lovely weekend!

It’s Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada, where our company is based, and so I wanted to celebrate by recognizing all the endless hard work and hours that our fantastic team puts in. From our web/graphics team of Lissa and Pachi who do everything from site design and coding fixes to helping put up new pages on time; to Becca, who handles pretty much all of the Sparkler Shop (on top of editing our audio dramas!!); to Leah and Cat, our amazing production and design assistants; to Jill, who gets everyone (who gets paid) paid when she’s not running the podcast or newsletter; our newest additions of Joseph and Hiveworks, who are boosting us with their incredible marketing prowess; and Lianne, who does basically everything else and then some… It’s a great crew of people we’ve assembled behind the scenes to keep Sparkler up and running, day after day, month after month, year after year. (Editor’s note: Let’s not forget Lillian, either, who’s the head of all our precious comics!)

And that’s not counting our wonderful and talented creators as well! Every one of you gives it your all every month, and it’s such a privilege to get to work with you and read the wonderful things you bring to life.

And that brings us to our September issue (#026)! This month, Windrosereturns with the explosive start of Volume 2, Skyglass reaches its incredible conclusion, Orange Junk is back from its one-month hiatus, we all get to enjoy a charming new installment of The Cat Lover’s Circumstances, and everyone girds themselves for battle in Witch’s Quarry! Our podcast this month is about Tabletop RPGs, and includes an announcement of Sparkler’s next gaming project. :D

Knights-Errant is taking a month off (as is Tokyo Demons), but we’ll have some fun guest comics going up in its absence, and you can comfort yourself by purchasing these fabulous Knights-Errant keychains, now available in the Sparkler Shop! Or, if you happen to be going to YaoiCon this month, you can buy them in person (from me, not Jenn, sadly) at the Sparkler table. Huzzah!